Quote Originally Posted by anthonykay View Post
I've just been looking at the first issue of the Fellrunner magazine on the FRA website. The list of race results for 1971 includes "Pontypool"; which blows a hole in our previous conclusion that Machen appeared to be the earliest fell race in South Wales, dating back to at least 1977. That man Dave Francis (winner of the first Snowdon race in 1976, as well as Machen in 1977) is listed, but only in third place at Pontypool.

I don't suppose anyone around now will know anything about the Pontypool race. Was it ever listed in the FRA calendar?
I've just had a look at the 1970 fixture list reproduced in the "40 Years of the FRA" special magazine from 2010: Pontypool Fell Race is listed there: 4 1/4 miles, with 410 feet of climbing, so looks like a hilly cross-country race rather than a true fell race. But it clearly goes back to the 1960's at least, since the entry in the 1970 fixture list refers to it being lengthened from the previous 2 1/2 mile course.